Rebecca Aicher
Third year graduate studentEducation:
BS Biology, The George Washington University 2001
Research Interests:
Broadly, I am interested in environmental change, human impacts on natural ecosystems, developing successful education and restoration practices, and forming a dialogue among local community members, research scientists, educators, and policy makers. Successful local restoration efforts and land management rely heavily on the support from the local human community. By using local community involvement, we are creating an interest in preserving and maintaining local biodiversity, open spaces, and ultimately a commitment to global biodiversity and sustainability.
Currently, my dissertation research focuses on community assembly and the relative contributions of neutral and niche processes. I am working in California grassland communities and looking at how local and regional processes differ in native dominated and exotic dominated communities. I am interested in incorporating community assembly and community development into restoration projects. Also, I am exploring the factors that are most important in predicting the successful establishment of native communities in California Ecosystems.
Recent Awards:
GAANN Fellow (Summer 2006) Department of Education and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCI
Pedagogical Fellow (2006-2007) Instructional Resources Center and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCI
Recent Presentations:
Community Assembly in a California Grassland: Neutral and Niche Processes (ESA 2006, Poster)
Recent Publications:
Harpole, W. S., L. Goldstein, and R. Aicher. Resource Limitation in California Grasslands, a meta-analysis (accepted, invited book chapter, in C. D'Antonio, J. Corbin, and M. Stromberg, editors. Ecology and Management of California Grasslands. University of California Press.)
Favorite Plant:
Lupinus succulentus (Arroyo Lupine)